A new national campaign to support farmers has been launched by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in partnership with the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India. The campaign, called Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan (VKSA – Mission for Developed Agriculture), will take place from May 29 to June 12, 2025, in every state and union territory of the country, reports Krishi Jagran.
The goal of the campaign is to directly connect agricultural experts with farmers, especially those in rural, remote, and less-served areas. The aim is to help them prepare for the upcoming Kharif planting season by sharing useful information and practical advice.
As part of the campaign, the ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute (ICAR-SBI) in Coimbatore held a training workshop for scientists who will be taking part in the campaign. The workshop was held on May 27, 2025, at the institute.
Speaking at the event, Dr. P. Govindaraj, Director of ICAR-SBI, explained that the campaign will be carried out with the help of 113 ICAR research institutes, 731 farm science centres, agricultural universities, and different state departments that deal with farming, gardening, animal care, and fishing. He encouraged scientists to have open discussions with farmers and guide them on crops suitable for their areas and better ways to grow them.
He also said that the campaign’s main idea is to bring knowledge from research labs to farmers’ fields. It aims to help every farmer in the country through new ideas, modern farming methods, and timely help. Dr. Govindaraj added that it’s also important for farmers to learn about government programs meant to support them.
During the workshop, Punitha, Deputy Director of Agriculture for Coimbatore district, gave a detailed talk about various government programs. These included natural farming, food and nutrition support schemes for pulses and grains, soil health programs, combined farming methods, school-based soil testing, water-saving farming projects, and the Tamil Nadu Millet Mission.
Two speakers, Ramya, a technical officer from the farm sector, and Daisyrani Gogoi, branch manager at the State Bank of India in Veerakeralam, spoke about the financial help available to farmers through public banks. They shared details about programs that support seed growing, setting up small processing units, and getting help through the Kisan Credit Card scheme.
Dr. D. Puthira Prathap, who is leading the VKSA campaign and also works as a senior scientist, talked about the campaign’s purpose and how it will be carried out. He explained that there are special programs in place for sugarcane farmers, including bonuses, support to buy seeds, help with planting techniques, and funding to buy equipment or set up centres where machines can be rented.
He also announced that scientists from ICAR-SBI will be visiting 16 districts in Tamil Nadu and one district in Puducherry to take part in the campaign and speak directly with farmers.
The workshop ended with a discussion session where scientists asked questions and received answers from the presenters. The event was wrapped up with a vote of thanks by Dr. C. Palaniswami, a senior scientist and campaign coordinator.
